Pioneer Peak Elementary

Summary:

Pioneer Peak Elementary is a public elementary school located in Palmer, Alaska, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 513. The school is part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which is ranked 8th out of 24 districts in Alaska and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pioneer Peak Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Alaska, ranking as high as 3rd out of 173 schools in the 2020-2021 school year. The school's proficiency rates in STAR/English Language Arts, STAR/Mathematics, and ASA/Science are significantly higher than the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 70% of Pioneer Peak students were proficient or better in ASA/Science, compared to 46.93% for the district and 36.94% for the state. Additionally, the school has a more diverse student population compared to the surrounding schools, such as Sherrod Elementary and Cottonwood Creek Elementary, with a higher percentage of non-White students.

Despite having a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (34.5% in 2022-2023) compared to some of the nearby schools, Pioneer Peak Elementary is able to maintain a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 16.3 to 18.3 over the past three school years. This suggests that the school is effectively allocating its resources to support student learning, and its high-performing nature, diverse student population, and efficient resource allocation make it a valuable partner for other schools in the district or region, particularly those with lower academic performance or higher rates of economic disadvantage.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1959 N Stringfield Rd
       Palmer, AK  99645


(907) 861-5700

District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
30th of 173 Alaska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,640 Help


Students who attend Pioneer Peak Elementary usually attend:

Elementary:    Colony Middle School
High:    Colony High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.9 Help
Number of students:  471

Racial breakdown:

White:
68.8%
Two or more races:
14.0%
Hispanic:
9.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  35% Help


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 Compare Pioneer Peak Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Pioneer Peak Elementary ranks better than 82.7% of elementary schools in Alaska. It also ranks 6th among 23 ranked elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 75.03. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (68.8%), two or more races (14%), Hispanic (9.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 35% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pioneer Peak Elementary is 14.9, which is the 12th best among 23 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Pioneer Peak Elementary employs 31.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pioneer Peak Elementary is $14,640. 17 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pioneer Peak Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Pioneer Peak Elementary 30th of 173 Alaska public elementary schools. (See Pioneer Peak Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Migrant students:
Female students:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District 8th of 24 Alaska school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Pioneer Peak Elementary?

Rank History for Pioneer Peak Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 79.04 27th 213 87.3%
2006 76.58 39th 218 82.1%
2007 81.34 17th 212 92.0%
2008 85.77 8th 219 96.3%
2009 88.32 3rd 226 98.7%
2010 88.57 4th 229 98.3%
2011 87.30 6th 223 97.3%
2012 82.57 21st 227 90.7%
2013 75.06 50th 223 77.6%
2014 77.51 40th 218 81.7%
2015 64.41 73rd 246 70.3%
2017 82.23 18th 180 90.0%
2018 84.75 17th 186 90.9%
2019 80.64 26th 185 85.9%
2021 93.56 3rd 173 98.3%
2022 69.34 43rd 171 74.9%
2023 72.63 36th 176 79.5%
2024 75.03 30th 173 82.7%
See the entire list of Alaska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 59.46 21st 58 63.8%
2023 67.28 24th 74 67.6%
2024 89.67 3rd 68 95.6%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 58.56 8th 14 42.9%
2023 50.41 7th 16 56.3%
2024 61.63 8th 27 70.4%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 74.12 33rd 147 77.6%
2021 98.91 1st 110 99.1%
2022 69.46 25th 104 76.0%
2023 67.04 35th 119 70.6%
2024 70.20 26th 122 78.7%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 75.04 3rd 24 87.5%
2022 87.69 1st 15 93.3%
2023 46.19 16th 30 46.7%
2024 51.39 14th 28 50.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 85.56 11th 159 93.1%
2021 94.57 2nd 141 98.6%
2022 72.79 31st 143 78.3%
2023 74.73 28th 152 81.6%
2024 73.67 28th 142 80.3%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 90.25 1st 20 95.0%
2022 50.00 13th 22 40.9%
2023 64.20 6th 22 72.7%
2024 46.46 13th 23 43.5%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 72.90 31st 159 80.5%
2021 90.54 4th 142 97.2%
2022 58.69 55th 148 62.8%
2023 66.09 41st 148 72.3%
2024 68.09 40th 150 73.3%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 76.28 3rd 26 88.5%
2023 60.23 14th 28 50.0%
2024 51.16 16th 27 40.7%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 63.81 17th 50 66.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Pioneer Peak Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 72.40 29th 147 80.3%
2021 90.82 4th 127 96.9%
2022 54.72 60th 137 56.2%
2023 63.06 40th 138 71.0%
2024 65.31 33rd 133 75.2%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Pioneer Peak Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, December 20, 2010

Open Quote The best elementary school in the Mat Su School District. My daughter absolutely loved this school, the staff, and curriculum. They are very encouraging to the students to go the distance. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Pioneer Peak Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 543 1 1 3 27 n/a n/a 0 575
1990 570 3 1 2 34 n/a n/a 0 610
1991 503 5 1 1 31 n/a n/a 0 541
1992 498 6 0 3 34 n/a n/a -93 448
1993 481 6 3 4 37 n/a n/a 0 531
1994 447 8 1 4 36 n/a n/a 0 496
1995 439 8 0 5 22 n/a n/a 7 481
1996 439 8 0 5 22 n/a n/a 7 481
1997 435 4 0 6 18 n/a n/a 0 463
1998 407 4 1 6 10 n/a n/a 0 428
1999 450 3 2 7 14 n/a n/a 0 476
2000 407 0 3 7 33 n/a n/a 0 450
2001 415 1 2 6 33 n/a n/a 0 457
2002 371 4 4 7 38 n/a n/a 0 424
2003 371 4 4 7 38 n/a n/a 0 424
2004 356 2 5 6 37 n/a n/a 0 406
2005 371 2 5 9 29 n/a n/a 0 416
2006 371 1 3 9 26 n/a n/a 0 410
2007 379 2 13 6 36 n/a n/a 0 436
2008 347 1 5 2 28 n/a n/a 50 433
2009 343 1 11 2 23 0 37 0 417
2010 311 3 12 5 22 0 26 0 379
2011 293 4 8 4 25 0 10 0 344
2012 280 15 10 6 48 3 0 0 362
2013 277 18 11 8 49 1 0 0 364
2014 306 16 15 12 54 4 0 0 407
2015 282 18 13 13 60 4 0 0 390
2016 306 14 14 10 54 4 21 0 423
2017 296 9 17 10 67 6 25 0 430
2018 321 5 15 11 46 6 30 0 434
2019 333 3 9 11 44 6 32 0 438
2020 317 8 8 40 31 5 52 0 461
2021 274 3 4 36 22 7 52 0 398
2022 353 4 3 45 32 6 65 0 508
2023 371 2 2 42 26 5 65 0 513
2024 324 3 3 46 24 5 66 0 471

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pioneer Peak Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 575 23.0 25.0 8.3
1990 610 29.0 21.0 7
1991 541 25.5 21.2 n/a
1992 448 25.5 17.5 n/a
1993 531 25.5 20.8 n/a
1994 496 25.5 19.5 n/a
1995 481 29.5 16.3 11.8
1996 481 29.5 16.3 11.8
1997 463 29.5 15.7 9.9
1998 428 24.5 17.5 13.3
1999 476 27.0 17.6 15.8
2000 450 25.0 18.0 16
2001 457 26.0 17.6 17.1
2002 424 26.0 16.3 19.8
2003 424 26.0 16.3 19.8
2004 406 24.0 16.9 22.2
2005 416 23.0 18.1 19.5
2006 410 24.0 17.1 22.9
2007 436 24.6 17.7 26.1
2008 433 25.8 16.8 29.5
2009 417 24.5 17.0 26.6
2010 379 22.5 16.8 23.2
2011 344 22.5 15.2 23.5
2012 362 19.0 19.0 32
2013 364 15.0 24.2 26.9
2014 407 23.3 17.4 29.2
2015 390 23.0 16.9 28.7
2016 423 26.0 16.2 31.7
2017 430 23.5 18.2 31.2
2018 434 25.0 17.3 32.5
2019 438 23.3 18.7 36.3
2020 461 22.6 20.3 33
2021 398 24.3 16.3 n/a
2022 508 28.0 18.1 n/a
2023 513 28.0 18.3 34.5
2024 471 31.5 14.9 35

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Pioneer Peak Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 575 23.0 25.0 8.3
1990 610 29.0 21.0 7
1991 541 25.5 21.2 n/a
1992 448 25.5 17.5 n/a
1993 531 25.5 20.8 n/a
1994 496 25.5 19.5 n/a
1995 481 29.5 16.3 11.8
1996 481 29.5 16.3 11.8
1997 463 29.5 15.7 9.9
1998 428 24.5 17.5 13.3
1999 476 27.0 17.6 15.8
2000 450 25.0 18.0 16
2001 457 26.0 17.6 17.1
2002 424 26.0 16.3 19.8
2003 424 26.0 16.3 19.8
2004 406 24.0 16.9 22.2
2005 416 23.0 18.1 19.5
2006 410 24.0 17.1 22.9
2007 436 24.6 17.7 26.1
2008 433 25.8 16.8 29.5
2009 417 24.5 17.0 26.6
2010 379 22.5 16.8 23.2
2011 344 22.5 15.2 23.5
2012 362 19.0 19.0 32
2013 364 15.0 24.2 26.9
2014 407 23.3 17.4 29.2
2015 390 23.0 16.9 28.7
2016 423 26.0 16.2 31.7
2017 430 23.5 18.2 31.2
2018 434 25.0 17.3 32.5
2019 438 23.3 18.7 36.3
2020 461 22.6 20.3 33
2021 398 24.3 16.3 n/a
2022 508 28.0 18.1 n/a
2023 513 28.0 18.3 34.5
2024 471 31.5 14.9 35

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pioneer Peak Elementary

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $838 (5.7%) $13,801 (94.3%) $14,640

Data source: Alaska Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pioneer Peak Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 26th of 185 Elementary schoolsRanks 36th of 176 Elementary schools
 6.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
All Grades Science (Pioneer Peak Elementary)6174.1
 13.1%
   All Grades Science (Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District)5146.5
 4.5%
   All Grades Science (Alaska)44.736.9
 7.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students438513
 17.1%
African American32
 33.3%
American Indian4426
 40.9%
Asian92
 77.8%
Hispanic1142
 281.8%
Pacific Islander65
 16.7%
White333371
 11.4%
Two or More Races3265
 103.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients36.3%34.5%
 1.8%


Schools Near Pioneer Peak Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Pioneer Peak Elementary

In the 2023-24 school year, 471 students attended Pioneer Peak Elementary.

Students who attend Pioneer Peak Elementary usually go on to attend:

Elementary : Colony Middle School
High : Colony High School

Pioneer Peak Elementary ranks 30th of 173 Alaska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Pioneer Peak Elementary are 69% White, 14% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 5% American Indian, 1% Pacific Islander.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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